Chimneys are provided in many homes and townhouses. They are valued by the homeowner for their aesthetic appeal and the fact that they can be used during the colder months to generate heat to, at least in part, heat the home. The fireplaces are generally used in the colder months when the outside air is considerably colder than the interior temperature. When the flue is open, cold air from outside the home can travel down the chimney and into the room that houses the fireplace. This is due to by the fact that the cold air outside is denser than the warm air inside. When the homeowner initially ignites a fire, this downdrafting of cold air can carry the smoke and fumes from the fire into the home. This is a very undesirable result.
The prior art discloses many flue heating devices which are built into the chimney. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,866 (Hoban). This device consists of a heater element 2 and a fan 3. The fan activates to blow the air heated by the heating element 2 into the chimney. This heated air flows up the chimney and creates an updraft through the chimney. When the fire is started, this updraft will carry the smoke and fumes from the fire up the chimney and out of the home. The device of Hoban is equipped with a downdraft sensor 9 activating the heater and fan when a downdraft is detected.
The prior art shows these types of devices that are permanently built into the chimney. This has the inherent disadvantage that the device needs to be installed when the chimney is built. Retrofitting a chimney in the millions of fireplace-equipped homes without such a device is costly and time-consuming. The homeowner, therefore, must choose this option when the home is being built. Such an expense may seem frivolous at a time of new construction when finances for the prospective homeowner are tight.
It is an object of the invention to provide a portable flue heater which can be used on any existing chimney.
It is another object of the invention to provide a flue heater that is inexpensive and easy to operate.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a flue heater that creates an updraft in a chimney to prevent smoke from being carried into the home.
These and other objects of the invention will become clear to one already skilled in the art after consideration of the disclosure of the invention that follows.